Updated July.29,2004 19:00 KST

N. Korean 'Royal Viagra' Promises to Put Lead in Your Pencil
Queen's Appeal
"Volcano of energy, Key to happiness."

North Korea's Pugang Pharmaceutic Co., Ltd.'s sale of "Queen's Appeal" (Korean: Cheongung Baekhwa), a medicine that heightens sexual performance in both men and women made from extracts of herbs used in the royal household of the Chosun (Joseon) Dynasty, is drawing attention.

According to an advertisement on the North Korean-run website Silibank (www.silibank.com), Queen's Appeal is an organic health food product made from ingredients extracted from epimedium, an herb also known as "Horny Goat Weed."

Pugang Pharmaceuticals described its product as an aphrodisiac that would give its users long life and eternal youth, made with cutting-edge technology from active ingredients extracted from epimedium. In the Chosun Dynasty, the king, queen and court ladies used the herb in the royal household. The company claims that unlike other aphrodisiacs, Queen's Appeal does not harm the health of its users; on the contrary, its use actually improves the health of those who take it.

Gathered deep in the mountains of North Korea's northern regions, one ton of epimedium yields one gram of active extract -- one capsule contains 60mg of icariin.

Because use of the product enhances hormonal production and blood circulation and normalizes nervous activity, it is effective in treating sexual decline or dysfunctions, frigidity, diabetes, infertility, irregular menstruation and lethargy. The company claims there are no harmful side effects.

The company explained that healthy individuals who use Queen's Appeal grow stronger, while elderly people who use it experience heightened sexual appetites and lessened signs of senility. It claims that menopausal women who take it restart their periods and enjoy happy sex lives. The company added that the product is effective in controlling blood pressure and preventing aging.

(englishnews@chosun.com )